One Summer
by rebmetpes-86
Summary: Two years have gone by since the disappearance of Dr. Jean Grey. The X-Men have discovered a new mutant, one with powers noone has ever seen. But why has Magneto never tried to recruit this mutant before? And why does he seem to act like he knows everythi
1. The Girl

Chapter 1: The Girl  
A teenage girl lay on her bed, immersed in a deep but troublesome sleep. Tossing and turning, she moaned and cried, almost as if she was caught in a nightmare. Sweat glistened on her brow as she struggled in battle against an invisible enemy.  
Slowly, grey streaks swept down the girl's jet black hair. Her ears became pointier, and light blue streaks swept across her face in the shape of two triangles, one on each cheek. Objects in the room began to bounce and shake, as if they were all cowering under the supernatural power that was being emitted from the young soul.  
"Ahh!!" The girls' eyes popped open to reveal blue-green eyes filled with fear. A second later the eyes had become a deep shade of brown, and the grey streaks were receding back to their roots. Overcome with fatigue, the girl closed her eyes and fell back to sleep.  
Far away, Wolverine awoke to the sounds of Cerebro's alarm.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"There better be a good reason why I was woken up this early." Wolverine growled as he staggered into the spherical room. Professor Xavier seemed to take no notice of him. But Wolverine knew better-nothing escaped Xavier, especially when he used his mutant powers.  
"Cerebro has a very quiet alert system-the rest of the mansion hasn't stirred." Xavier informed the grumpy Wolverine. "And I was not the one that included sensitive ears as part of your mutant powers."  
"So, IS there a good reason of why I was woken up this early?"  
"There may be a possible glitch in Cerebro."  
Wolverine stopped in mid yawn. After a second he decided he should close his open mouth. "There's never been a glitch with Cerebro before. You and Magneto built it to last." He added bitterly after a second's thought. "Why a glitch now?"  
"I think Cerebro's discovered a new mutant."  
"And that is a glitch, how?"  
"Because the signal's lost now. Completely disappeared from the face of the earth."  
"Has it occurred to you that it could be Magneto playing with your mind? Since he helped you to build it, he's the only one who would know how to hide."  
"It is not Magneto, I know that." Xavier said calmly as the room darkened once again and a map of the world appeared before their eyes. A single red dot appeared, flashing repeatedly over a section in North America.  
"That was the last signal that Cerebro picked up before it disappeared. The most I could narrow it down was to the town of Kingsville, about 60 miles out of Calgary. I want you to find the mutant there."  
Wolverine considered it for a moment. "Calgary.isn't that in Canada?"  
"Alberta, if you want to be specific. And I suggest that you take a couple of students along as well." The door of Cerebro slid open to reveal a couple of sleepy-eyed looking teenagers. "Like Rogue and Bobby."  
"What are we doing?" Bobby asked, yawning and trying to flatten his wildly messy hair.  
"I will let Logan explain." Xavier said as he calmly wheeled himself towards the elevator.  
"So, what are we doing?" Rogue asked.  
Wolverine stared at the two eighteen-year-olds, trying to form a plan as to how he was going to conduct the latest mission.  
"I'll explain it to you if you two make breakfast." 


	2. The Trip

*Note: This story is meant to have taken place between the second and third X-Men movies.so please do not sue me if it doesn't end up fitting at all into the storylines. I also have not watched the X-Men TV series in a long time, or read their comic books so please do not sue me either if I put in characters that are out of date.  
  
Chapter 2: The Trip  
"I don't understand why we couldn't have taken the jet." Bobby grumbled as he checked his watch again. "We could have made it there by now."  
"Consider it a vacation kid." Wolverine closed his eyes and tried to relax in a hard chair that was located at the airport terminal. "But instead of heading to a big, famous city, we're heading to a small town. Besides, I think people would notice if they suddenly saw a big jet make a landing outside of town."  
"What I really want to know is how come you invited Cyclops to come along?" Bobby motioned towards the figure that was staring silently at the arrivals and departures screen.  
"Awe, is Wolverine finally revealing a softer side of him?" Rogue teased, putting her head upon his shoulder.  
Wolverine opened on eye. "Me? Soft? Never. I just, it's just scary seeing Cyclops like that. Getting scarier everyday. Sometimes I wish he'd yell at me again, just to see him like his regular self. Before." Wolverine tried not to shudder as he remembered that day when Jean sacrificed herself to save all the other X-Men.  
"The death of Ms. Grey's hit everyone hard. Cyclops the hardest of all." Rogue seemed to have read his mind.  
"Ten more minutes before we're set to board." Bobby spoke up.  
"I'd better go get Cyclops." Wolverine got up stiffly and made his way through the crowd. "Hey, our flight's set to board soon, we should probably get going." Cyclops seemed to take no notice of him. Why did I even bother bringing him? Wolverine wondered. He tried hard to stay calm and not let his anger get the best of him.  
"Hello, did you hear what I just said? We should probably get going." Wolverine took a couple of steps away, but Cyclops continued to stare at the TV monitors.  
"We have to go. I'll even carry your bag for you-I'm feeling strangely generous." Wolverine picked up Cyclop's duffle bag and proceeded to walk away once again, praying that Cyclops would follow him.  
"I know what you're thinking. What you're all thinking. You all think she's dead."  
Wolverine stopped in mid-stride and slowly turned around to face Cyclops. "look, Kiddo.I was there. And to tell you the truth, her odds weren't all that great."  
"You don't know Jean like I do. She's tough, she could have made it."  
Wolverine sighed. "Look all I'm pointing out is that the odds weren't all that great, regardless of who was in that position."  
"She's not like that. She's not dead. I can feel it."  
"Flight 825 now boarding for Calgary. Repeat. Flight 825 now boarding for Calgary."  
"That's our flight." Wolverine managed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm going to get Bobby and Rogue. I suggest you come along too, if you don't want to be left behind." Wolverine shoved the duffle bag into Cyclop's arms and proceeded to find Bobby and Rogue.  
It was only when Wolverine peeked behind his shoulder and saw Cyclops silently following him, did he feel some weight being lifted from his shoulders.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Kingsville.population, 5000." Bobby read out loud as the rented car passed by the wooden sign.  
"I still don't understand why we couldn't have stopped to get some souvenirs." Rogue said, pretending to be cross.  
Wolverine kept his eyes peeled on the road. "The sooner we get to the mutant, the sooner we can relax. Maybe then we can get some souvenirs."  
"Promise?"  
Wolverine shot a look at Rogue from the rear-view mirror.  
"No, of course not. You don't promise a lot." Rogue slunk lower into her seat.  
"If it's any consolation, we'll be reaching the town centre pretty soon." Bobby broke the tension a few minutes later. "By the way, how are we even supposed to find him? Or her? We don't' know anything, except that this is the place we are supposed to look."  
"A town's so big too. Where do we even start?" Rogue agreed.  
"We'll just have to look the old fashioned way." Wolverine said as the town centre swam into view. "5000 people in the town, shouldn't be too hard."  
The car came to a stop in front of a grocery store and the group emerged and took a look around. Kingsville was indeed a very small town. The town centre itself consisted of a red and white brick building labelled "City Hall", the grocery store, and a surprisingly big mall was off a little bit in the distance, complete with a theatre and a recreational centre.  
"We can ask around. There's bound to be somebody who knows something." It was the first time Cyclops had spoken since the airplane ride.  
"Yes, we do know something: you're not getting the mutant."  
Wolverine's muscles tensed as the X-Men slowly turned around. He knew that voice too well.  
Toad. 


	3. The Mutant

Author's Note: I'm SO sorry to everyone for not writing for ages. Final Exams do wear one down. Hopefully I haven't driven everybody away, thinking that I'm never going to continue on with this story. If you be so kind, please review, that way I'll know whether or not you guys are enjoying this story and want me to continue.  
  
Chapter 3: The Mutant  
"I should have known that Magneto would be sending his servants to do his dirty work." Wolverine growled, taking only a split second to reveal his claws. He wanted to swipe that stupid smirk clean off of Toad's face.  
"Same goes for the X-men." Toad replied smugly. "Don't the Professor's dirty work."  
"Don't you dare say that!" Cyclops had already put on his visor, completely shielding his eyes. Instinctively, Bobby took a step in front of Rogue, his hands already turning to ice. Wolverine felt his blood start to boil as Sabertooth and the midnight-blue Mystique stepped into view. A few bystanders gasped and whispered among themselves, but other than that they seemed surprisingly calm.  
"We can say whatever we want."  
Rogue stifled a gasp. It was Pyro. He looked the same as ever, brown haired, tall and lanky. There was an unmistakable malicious look in his eye, and one end of a flamethrower was strapped under both his wrists.  
"Is this some kind of game to you Pyro? Switching sides and joining forces with Magneto?" Cyclops demanded.  
"A game of chess, actually." Pyro laughed, a deep, haunting laugh. In one swift motion, Pyro aimed the flamethrower right at the X-Men.  
"Chekmate."  
A tiny flame was emitted from the flamethrower, but that was enough for Pyro. The air suddenly erupted into fire. Without even thinking, Wolverine and Sabertooth both leapt towards each other, teeth barred, muscles tensed. Two jets of ice erupted from Bobby's hands, colliding head on with the fire. Within a split second, the ice had melted. Bobby and Rogue both flung themselves onto the ground, ice cold water splashing on top of them.  
"Bobby!" rogue cried, pointing the cars in the parking lot. Three or four of the cards had already caught fire. If any one of them had a full tank of gas....  
KABOOM!!!  
The whole world seemed to have exploded at once. Cyclops flew through the air and landed painfully onto his backside. Out of the corner of his eye, Cyclops saw Toad, spitting forth his long tongue...  
Tsweet!! Toad screamed in pain as Cyclops' eyes got him squarely in the chest. But before Cyclops could see where he landed, a crushing blow to the back sent him sprawling onto the cement again. A blue blur crossed his eyes as he tried to pick himself up, feeling blood slowly ooze down his cheek. Mystique.  
Tsweet! Tsweet! Tsweet! For every time Cyclops tried to hit Mystique, she hit him twice, her punches and kicks growing more and more confident with each passing second. His vision was slowly blurring, his stomach felt like it was on fire. Wolverine and Sabertooth were still locked in a deadly battle. Bobby and Rogue were trying their best to stop the burning flames that were everywhere.  
"Time to die."  
Cyclops felt a searing pain erupt from his chest. Looking down, he saw a dagger protruding from his own flesh. Panic erupted in his mind. He couldn't breathe; he could barely think. Like lightly, Mystique pulled the dagger out of Cyclops and jabbed it into his stomach two more times.  
So this is it. Cyclops thought to himself as his world turned a weird mixture of blood red and black. His mind could only focus on one thought.  
Jean.  
* * * * * * * * * *  
"Bobby!" Rogue gasped. "Cyclops!" The two watched helplessly as Mystique plunged a dagger repeatedly into Cyclops' stomach. "We have to do something!"  
"We've got Pyro to deal with!" Bobby yelled. A split second later the two of them were forced to plunge to the ground as a flame grazed the top of their heads and hit the building behind them.  
Bobby grit his teeth as he searched his mind for an idea. But the smoke and fire filled air made it next to impossible to do anything but block Pyro's next attack. There had to be a way to stop him. As Bobby concentrated on making a thick wall of ice to hopefully shield Pyro's next attack, he felt Rogue give him a sharp poke in the ribs.  
"Listen." She said quickly. "What are the people screaming?"  
Bobby focused his hearing towards the bystanders. They all seemed to be screaming similar phrases.  
"Breeze! Help!"  
"Save us Breeze!"  
"Breeze!"  
Bobby and Rogue gave each other a confused look. Breeze?  
Then, it hit.  
The ground suddenly sprang to life. Huge cracks appeared on the cement as the ground shifted and rumbled, often forming waves of cement that reached insanely huge heights. Bobby could only watch in amazement along with the rest of the people clustered at the edges of the buildings. For something so hard, the cement mountains looked surprisingly flexible, almost like cement-coloured paint that was being poured from the bucket. In a split second the "paint" had formed a recognizable human figure and the rumbling ground quickly died down. The figure immediately flew over to Sabertooth and Wolverine, knocking the two apart with superhuman force. Sabertooth flew backwards, landing inches from a parked car, while Wolverine landed gently beside Bobby and Rogue. The figure landed at the center of the town square and the paint spun away to reveal a solid figure.  
All the X-Men could do was stare.  
The mutant was a girl, judging by the grey and white hair that tapered off to a point at the girl's back. Huge cat ears sat on top of her head, always twitching, picking up the slightest movements. Her eyes were a calculating blue-green, with a light blue pattern of two triangles that ran down her cheeks. Wolverine felt a chill run down his spine. The mutant was dressed for battle. She wore a black armour piece that covered her chest and back all the way down to the bottom of her ribs. A pair of black cut off shorts revealed skinny yet muscular legs as well as a six-pack stomach. Black and red armour pads lined the shoulders and lower arms. The only difference was that the lower pads had three slits of silver that glinted in the light. The mutant's feet ended in some sort of grey shoes that looked more like a human imitation of cat paws.  
But the tail was what caught one's attention. It was just like a cat's tail; slender and lined with light peach coloured fur. The only difference was the deadly scorpion-like stinger at the end, poised and ready to rip through flesh like ripping through paper.  
"Who the hell are you?" Pyro gawked at the mutant, a small fireball in each hand.  
"Breeze."  
"What kind of a name is that?" By this time the Brotherhood had time to regroup. Each of them was staring at Breeze with an expression of confusion and curiosity on their faces.  
"One you will always remember."  
"Well don't forget our name either." Mystique said, grinning. "We are the Brotherhood."  
As if on cue, Pyro released his two fireballs. The air was filled with fire once again. Bobby blinked, and the fire wasn't there anymore. Pyro looked as stunned as Bobby felt. He tried to emit more flame from the flamethrower, but it was dead empty.  
Breeze watched everybody's confusion with a slightly amused look in her eye.  
"I've had enough of this nonsense!" Toad spat. "Get out of our way so we can find the mutant."  
Breeze tilted her head slightly and Toad flew through the air before he even had time to whip out his deadly tongue. He stopped a dead few inches from her face. Her eyes became cold and hard. "Fool." She said. "I AM the mutant." With a careless wave of her hand, Toad flew backwards and landed on the ground, unconscious.  
Within a split second Sabertooth was charging straight towards Breeze. She calmly held up one hand, stopping Sabertooth dead in his tracks and lifting him up into the air. Slowly, an expression of pain appeared on his face. Round and round the mutant spun in the air, howling and writing in pain, as if a giant hand was slowly crushing him. After what seemed like an eternity, Breeze flung Sabertooth off to one side. He was unconscious before he even hit the ground.  
"You are powerful with magic tricks." Mystique finally spoke. Wolverine noticed that she looked surprisingly calm—maybe she was more foolish than he thought. "But how would you do in your physical abilities?"  
"I guess we shall have to see."  
"I guess we shall."  
Within a flash, Mystique attacked Breeze. Her punches, kicks and martial arts moves were so fast they were just a blur. What was even more amazing was that Breeze was able to block every single punch and kick with ease. It was not long before she got a bored look on her face.  
"I'm sick of all this nonsense!" Mystique yelled in frustration.  
"So am I."  
WHAM! Breeze's punch caught Mystique right in the stomach. With Mystique doubled over from surprise, Breeze took her chance to be offensive. Everyone watched in complete amazement as Breeze landed punch after punch, so fast that it made Mystique's punches look slow and clumsy. Each punch was hard, precise and took barely a fraction of a second.  
When Breeze finally stopped, Mystique slumped onto the ground, unconscious. Only Pyro remained, still feverishly trying to use his flamethrower.  
"Looking for something?" Breeze opened her hands to reveal Pyro's fireballs, one resting on each palm. Wolverine felt another shiver go down his spine. There was a smile on Breeze's face, one that contained pure evil.  
Pyro looked so scared that he actually started to shake. "Is this some kind of game to you kid?!" he yelled.  
Breeze's smile only grew larger. "A game of Chess actually." She said in Pyro's voice. In one swift motion, she brought the fireballs close to her face.  
"Checkmate." 


	4. The Aftermath

Chapter 4: The Aftermath  
The air erupted with fire. Rogue's instincts took over. She dove to the ground, covering her head and neck with her arms. She braced herself for burning skin and hair, but she felt, nothing. Just a warmness that swelled up inside her heart, like she was meeting an old friend.  
Someone screamed.  
Upon opening her eyes, Rogue was shocked to discover that the air was on fire. They were unharmed, but yet the burning embers appeared to resemble the very depths of Hell. Nobody else seemed to be affected by the flames, except for the Brotherhood. Pyro was the only who was conscious enough to feel the effects of the fire. And feel them he did. He could feel the fire singeing at his skin. He could feel the flames ignite the hairs on his head. He could feel the fear well up deed inside his heart when he realized, that for the first time in his life, there was a fire that he could not control.  
From where she was hiding, Rogue could see the embers clinging to Pyro's skin, and the fear within his eyes. He seemed to look right at her for a split second, before he let out a scream that pierced the depths of her heart. She blinked once, and then they were gone.  
Rogue could hardly believe her eyes as she let Bobby help her to her feet. "What happened?"  
Bobby shrugged. "My guess is as good as yours." He felt Rogue pull away from his grasp, but he could not movie. He himself could not believe what his eyes were seeing.  
The town centre was absolutely spotless. It looked like the battle had never taken place. There were no burned or singed objects in sight, nor was there any water or ice. The cars that had blown up were where they had originally been, gleaming in the late afternoon sun.  
Within a few seconds, the residents of Kingsville had gotten over their shock and surprise. They all gathered around Breeze, giving tearful thank-you's and hugs. Breeze simply smiled and said "You're welcome" to every single person in return. Slowly, the residents either go into their cars and drove off or returned to their business.  
"Bobby!"  
Rogue's frantic voice made Bobby jar out of his trance. He ran to the direction of her voice. A small crowd of people had already formed, and Bobby had to shove his way through. In the middle, he was a tearful Rogue cradling Cyclops's head. A silent Wolverine held onto Cyclops's limp wrist, searching for a pulse. The look in his eyes told Bobby that he found nothing.  
Grief and guilt overwhelmed Bobby as he collapsed beside Rogue. He had fallen right onto a pool of blood, but Bobby barely noticed as the blood soaked through his jeans. The only thing that he noticed was the peaceful face of a man, dead, who should have been too young to die. Bobby felt his eyes start to burn. It was all his fault. He saw Mystique plunge that dagger into Cyclops. And yet he had done nothing. Absolutely nothing.  
The circle of people slowly parted and a shadow fell over the X-Men. They all looked up to see Breeze standing over them.  
"He's dead." Rogue said as a way of explanation. "It's all our fault...he's dead."  
Breeze knelt beside the body and placed her fingers on Cyclops's neck, trying to find a pulse that had already ceased to exist. "Indeed, he is gone." She said at last. "What is his name?"  
"Cyclops. Or, his real name's Scott Summers. Mr. Summers."  
Gently, Breeze took her fingers from Cyclops's neck and placed them on his forehead. She placed her other hand over his stomach wound.  
"Scott." She began. "I know you can hear me. I know you must think that there is nothing you can do. But there is. You can come back." As Breeze spoke, her eyes slowly closed. Her voice had an almost hypnotic tone. A pale yellow light slowly enclosed Cyclops's body.  
"Come back. You can do it." Breeze continued. "So many people who care about you. Come back." Slowly, the stomach wound receded. It grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared altogether.  
Rogue let out a cry of joy as Cyclops started to breathe once again. A great gasp for air, and Cyclops's eyes flew open. Full of questions, they full upon Breeze, who was still leaning on him.  
"Wait, Breeze!" Bobby cried as she got up and turned to leave. "How can I, or we, ever than you for what you did just now? It was truly a miracle. You must be an angel."  
Breeze smiled and shrugged. "It wasn't his time to go." She said simply. "Watch over him, and tell him, as gently as you can, what just happened. It's always a shock to find out you've come back from the dead." With that, Breeze turned around and proceeded to walk away. In a few seconds, she has disappeared.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Magneto walked quickly down the stairs. With any luck, the Brotherhood would have captured the mutant and would be returning soon. Stopping short, Magneto felt nothing but surprise as he took notice of what was lying at the bottom of the stairs. The Brotherhood.  
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Magneto picked up Mystique and began to shake her. "Mystique! What happened?" It was useless—she was unconscious. Furthermore, she had numerous burns all over her body. It was the same situation with Toad and Sabertooth—both were unconscious and badly burned.  
A slight sobbing sound caught Magneto's attention. There was Pyro, clutching his knees, rocking back and forth in one corner, tears streaming down his cheecks. Burns were also evident all over his skin.  
"What's going on?" Magneto grabbed Pyro and shook him vigorously. "What happened?!?"  
Pyro looked at Magento, his lip quivering and eyes full of fear. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.  
"What happened?" Magneto demanded again. "Was it the mutant?!?"  
After a few seconds, Pyro slowly nodded. "She......she.....did this...."  
"What was her name?!"  
Pyro looked at Magneto, his lip quivering even more. "Bbbreeeeze....." Breaking down, Pyro collapsed and began sobbing in Magneto's arms.  
Magneto remained still and silent while Pyro continued to sob in his arms. He could barely believe it—here was a grown man, sobbing and blubbering like he was seven years old!  
Oh Breeze. Magneto thought. What have you done?  
  
Author's Note: Well, that's it for this chapter! I'll try to keep writing and posting more chapters as fast as I can. Hopefully I'll be able to write a story that will live up to everyone's expectations. Please keep reviewing! Thx! 


	5. The Offer

Chapter 5: The Offer  
  
"I can help you find Breeze."  
Wolverine never expected those words from a young boy that stood calmly before the X-Men.  
"How can we be sure you know where she is?" Bobby asked suspiciously.  
"I'm her cousin."  
Wolverine did a double take at the boy in front of him. They did not look alike at all. He had short brown hair and brown eyes, while Breeze had greyish white hair and blue green eyes. Breeze was muscular and toned, while the boy was plain skinny. However, the air and manner that surrounded the boy seemed to contain a small essence of Breeze's own confidence and perfection.  
"Her cousin?" Wolverine repeated, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "What is your name?"  
"Galahad."  
"Galahad, wasn't he one of Arthur's Knights? The Knights of the Round Table?"  
Galahad shot Bobby a dirty look. "Yes, I was named after him." He replied bitterly. He was silent for only a moment. "So, do you guys want my help or not?"  
"Well, we don't' know where else to go..." Bobby whispered thoughtfully to Wolverine.  
"You know Breeze?!" Cyclops suddenly yelled, snapping out of his previous trance-like state. Grabbing Galahad by the shoulders, he shook him vigorously. "Where is she?" A split second later, Cyclops collapsed on the ground and began to cry.  
"Cyclops, are you alright?" Rogue cried as she and Bobby helped to pick him up. "Uh...sorry about that Galahad, it's..."  
"It's alright." Galahad interrupted. "He isn't the first person she's saved. They all have, similar reactions. Now, I shall be glad to take you to Breeze, if you'd be so kind to give me and my bike a ride."  
  
"Here we are." Galahad said cheerfully as the car pulled off the main road and onto a narrow gravel road. "Home sweet home."  
"You live with Breeze?" Wolverine raised an eyebrow as he unloaded the bicycle from the trunk.  
"With our grandmother." Galahad said simply as he took the bicycle. "Excuse me, I'm going to put my bike back into the shed and let my grandma know you're here." With that, the boy rode around the corner of the house and disappeared.  
Cyclops survived the house, being the last to get out of the car. Now matter how hard he tried he still could not shake the memory of himself coming back from the dead. The first thing he had seen was Breeze standing over him, part of her face hiding in shadow, her silvery hair glittering in the afternoon sun. She had looked like an angel. Cyclops certainly didn't expect her to be living in a place like the house he faced now. It looked so—ordinary. Sure, the pretty little white house looked old but well-kept, but it certainly didn't seem like a house that Breeze would live in.  
Screams and shouts could be heard from inside the house. There were two voices—one was unmistakably Galahad, the other voice belonged to a lady.  
"I'm guessing they're arguing about us." Bobby said as he and Rogue followed Cyclops and Wolverine onto the wooden front porch.  
As if on cue, the door opened a crack. "Get out." The elderly woman barked. "I don't know why you're here, or what you want with me and my grandchildren, but I want you off my property. Now."  
"But grandma!" Galahad tried to protest.  
Cyclops started to speak. "We're actually friends of Breeze, sort of uh..Mrs...uh..."  
"Chan."  
"Mrs. Chan." Cyclops continued. "My name is uh, Scott. We are the—"  
"No!" Mrs. Chan interrupted. "I told you before, I want you off my property!"  
Wolverine put his foot into the path of the closing door. "Look lady, we came here because Galahad invited us. He knows..."  
"I told you before, get out, GET OUT!" Mrs. Chan's eyes burned with hatred. "I know who you are, go away before I call the police."  
A sharp voice echoed throughout the house. "Grandma!"  
The door stopped moving, along with Cyclop's heart.  
"Let them in Grandma." It was Breeze.  
"But my dear..."  
"Let them in Grandma. They are friends."  
With no other choice, Mrs. Chan reluctantly took a step back and flung open the door, revealing the girl standing on the stairs.  
Cyclops felt his heart skip a beat. Wolverine felt a lump in his throat. Bobby and Rogue felt nothing but numbness and confusion.  
The girl on the staircase wasn't Breeze. Or was she?

Author's Note: I apologize for not writing in AGES. I've probably lost all of my readers now, but to those of you still reading this, thank you! I plan to finish this fanfic, even if it takes me ten years. Hope that you will continue reading and commenting on my work. Thank you!


	6. The Family

Chapter 6 - The Family  
  
Nobody could believe their eyes. They had all expected to se Breeze standing there, grey hair, cat-like ears, deadly scorpion-like tail. But Breeze looked exactly like any normal human being. Asian—Chinese, Taiwanese, it was hard to tell which. Raven black hair only flowed past her shoulders, all the muscles were gone, and the eyes were brown, instead of blue-green.  
"So." She said. "Aren't you going to come in? Or are you going to be standing on the front porch for the remainder of the day?"  
Silently, all four X-Men stepped into the house. Mrs. Chan closed the door quickly behind them.  
"Well." She finally said, pressing her thin lips together. "I suppose since you are Shamira's guests, I will have to be civil. Would you like anything to drink? Tea? Coffee?"  
"Uh...water would be just fine for all of us." Wolverine said quickly. Bobby and Rogue gave each other questioning looks. Shamira?  
"I'll come and help." Galahad offered, scurrying away after Mrs. Chan.  
"Galahad is really something isn't he?" Shamira commented as she led them into the living room, closing the door softly behind her. "A heart of gold, he's certainly got that."  
Wolverine was the only one that remained standing as everyone else took a seat. "But, you're not..."  
"Breeze?" Suddenly, the brown eyes began to shift to a blue-green hue. The black hair gracefully swept down to waist length, turning silvery grey. Cat ears poked their way out of the top of her head. The tail suddenly swept into view, swinging freely from side to side. The muscles, the armour, everything was back.  
Wolverine sat down on the couch. Hard. "I should have known you were a shape-shifter."  
"Breeze. Shamira. I'm one in the same." The girl said simply. "Breeze...let's just say it is my alias name that stuck like glue." Within a few seconds, the black hair girl returned.  
"This...is what I would have looked like." Shamira said softly, looking at her hands. "If I was...normal. I'm glad that I inherited my mother's looks."  
"What about your father?" Bobby asked absentmindedly.  
"He didn't mean any harm." Rogue said quickly as a dark cloud passed over Sharmira's face. "If you don't want to answer that question, don't."  
"It's alright." Shamira said finally. "My grandmother, she's one of the strongest people I know. Her husband, my grandfather died, leaving her to raise three teenagers, two daughters and a son. The youngest was the son, my uncle. He was the only one that really made it in the real world, so to speak. He went on to a good University, became a successful lawyer, got married, and had a family. They visit now, every Christmas and the first two weeks of every summer. He was the baby of the family, he never forgot his roots."  
"Galahad's mother, my aunt, was the middle child." Shamira continued. "Some reason, she was the rebel all her life. Met some pot dealer or somebody like that. Spat out Galahad, then ran off with that guy, leaving my grandmother to take care of him."  
"What about your mother?"  
"She met my father after she graduated college. They fell in love, had me, even talked about marriage I imagine, even though my father was a good several years older. I guess, somehow he must have known that I was a mutant, or something like that, because he split when I was several months old. My mother raised me by herself—until she died of a broken heart when I was three. Ever since then, my grandma's taken care of the two of us. By herself."  
The silence that filled the room soon became suffocating. Nobody knew what to say to the young girl of sixteen or seventeen, who had seemed to have been forced to grow up and shed all of her innocence overnight.  
"Well." Wolverine said at last. "We have this place in New York...it's called the Xavier Institute for the Gifted."  
A small smile appeared on Breeze's face. "A place, for people like us?"  
"Yes, for you and me. Where we're safe from the outside world. A place where we can be ourselves, and not be afraid. Professor Xavier runs the institute, and he helps all of us deal with and control our powers." Not as if she needed any of that. Wolverine added silently to himself. "A lot of his students have gone out into the outside world as educated young people, and some choose to stay behind and teach future generations."  
"She is not going."  
Everybody turned at the quiet but firm voice. Mrs. Chan was standing in the doorway, a tray of water glasses in her hands. She looked worn out and defeated all at once. Wolverine hadn't even heard her enter the room.  
"She can't go with you." Mrs. Chan said again. "Thank you for your offer, but she cannot go to your school. Not to New York."  
"I must go Grandma." Breeze said softly.  
"What did you say?"  
Breeze bit her lip and stared at the carpet. "I must go. It's the best possibility for me, and for everyone."  
"Why, why does it have to be?"  
"It just has." Breeze's gaze never left the carpet. "We've already discussed this before, grandma. I must go. Please don't stop me."  
Mrs. Chan pursed her lips together once again. Her shoulders sank even further, like the weight of the world was suddenly being borne on her shoulders. "Then, please just let her stay until tomorrow, so we can say goodbye." 


	7. The Picture

Chapter 7 – The Picture  
  
"Well, here we are." Wolverine announced, opening up the front door.  
"Home, sweet home." Bobby agreed.  
Rogue trudged in after the two of them. She cast a glance back at Shamira, carrying only two suitcases, one under each arm. Cyclops soon followed, brushing past as he immediately headed up the staircase. But Shamira took no notice of him, as she slowly turned around in a circle, observing her surroundings. "So, this is the Xavier Institute." She said at last.  
"He should be back soon." Wolverine said. "He'll be wanting to talk to you. You'll be rooming with Rogue, so in the meantime you can get unpacked."  
"I'll help you with that." Bobby offered, taking one of the suitcases from Shamira.  
"How many people live here?" Shamira asked softly as they climbed the staircase.  
"A lot. Many of them go home for the summer holidays. To parents who actually love them." There was a hint of bitterness in Rogue's voice as she pushed open a door. "Welcome to my humble abode."  
The room was fairly large. Two bunkbeds were pressed against two walls. Two small wooden desks were placed under the window and chest drawers and a closet door lined the remaining wall.  
"We've got some empty drawers. I'm afraid you'll have to pick a top bunk—Jubilee, the other girl I room with, she's got the other bunk bed."  
"I like the top bunk anyhow." Shamira gave Rogue a reassuring smile.  
A blonde hair boy with huge angel-like wings appeared in the doorway. "There you are." He said, exchanging hi-fives with Bobby. "You got back just in time. A bunch of us are setting up to play some soccer down at the field. You in?"  
"You bet." Bobby quickly set down the suitcase.  
"Who are you?" The angel boy stared at Shamira.  
"This is Shamira." Rogue introduced. "Shamira, this is Warren, or Angel, if you like."  
"Pleased to meet you." Shamira gave a small nod.  
"Great. I'm always up for a game of soccer!" Bobby sprinted past Warren. "Race you there!"  
"Hey, no fair, you got a head start!" Warren flapped his wings and soared down the hall.  
"You can fly!" That was Bobby's echoing reply.  
"That Warren character is a bit of a show off isn't he?" Shamira commented as she unzipped one of her suitcases.  
"Who, Warren?" Rogue sat on one of the bunk beds. "I guess he can't help but show off every once in awhile. He's got good looks, and everybody knows it, including him. I bet you half of the girls here have a mad crush on him."  
"So he must have a lot of girlfriends." Shamira said with a small laugh. Empty drawers opened and neatly folded clothes flew into their proper place.  
"You would think so, but Warren's one of the most grounded people that I know."  
"Oh? How so?"  
"Well," Rogue began thoughtfully. "I suppose a lot of guys could have fun knowing all those girls had a mad crush on him. But Warren doesn't do that. In the many years that Bobby's known him, Warren's only had two girlfriends. That's his nature, he only asks out girls that he really likes. He's not the kind to play around with one's emotions."  
Shamira smiled as she took the last remaining items out of her suitcase. "That's what all guys should be like."  
"It's a shame." Rogue agreed. She gave a curious glance at the items Shamira had taken out of her bag. "What's that you got there?"  
"That?" Shamira gave an almost embaressed laugh. "That's a picture of me...and my dad."  
"But...it's only got you there." Rogue could barely believe her eyes. Inside the wooden pictures frame, that was a picture of Shamira, standing beside a silhouette of a person.  
Shamira gently placed the photo frame on top of one of the chest drawers. "I know it's going to sound silly. My mom and grandmother did a good job in raising me, did all they could. But deep down I needed a father, and he was never there for me. I grew up with the fool's hope of finding him within my lifetime. So I made this picture. When I die, the silhouette will be filled with the picture of my dad."  
"That doesn't sound silly. I'd probably do something similar to that if I was in your position."  
"Tell you what." Shamira said suddenly. She picked up the picture frame again and offered it to Rogue. "Why don't you hang onto this for me?"  
"Oh, but. I uh, I couldn't..." Rogue began.  
"Take it." Shamira offered it to Rogue again. "As a favour for me. I think it would be rather sad if I passed from this world and nobody knew about it."  
There was a rough knocking at the door and both girls turned their heads to find Wolverine standing in the doorway. "Xavier wants to see Shamira in his office." He said gruffly before walking away.

"Welcome to the Xavier Institute for the Gifted." Professor Xavier wheeled forward and warmly shook Shamira's hand. "I'm Professor Xavier."  
"Pleased to meet you. I'm known as Shamira, or Breeze, I guess that's my alias name."  
"So now that you're here, I guess we might as well begin." Professor Xavier wheeled back behind his desk. "First off, I would like to thank you for saving Scott Summer's life. Bringing him back from the dead, as I understand it."  
"I was thankful to be there. It wasn't his time to go." Shamira said simply.  
"I believe that you are fully aware that your powers make you one of, if not the most powerful mutant on the planet." Xavier leaned forward in his chair. "One of the most probing questions I have is that I would like to know how you managed to evade Cerebro's mutant detection system. There is only one other mutant I know who can do the same thing."  
"To tell you the truth, I don't know how I avoided your detection system. All my life, I had never wanted the mutant part of me to be 'found' so to speak. In a way, I can sort of close my powers and shelf it away on a book, not look at it or use it. I guess from that I was hidden. The only explanation I can offer is that recently there were times when I lost control of the powers that were keeping me hidden. And that little bit I guess was enough for the X-Men to find me."  
"Just how far do your powers go?"  
Shamira leaned back in her seat. "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to tell you simply because I don't know. Which is what scares me sometimes, thinking whether or not I have limits. The only thing I would be able to tell you is that most of my powers seemed to have been routed within my imagination, my mind. Anything that I can picture, if I can hold onto that picture, it becomes real."  
"Anything?"  
A pencil flew off of the Professor's desk. Shamira snatched it and broke it into half. The two pencil pieces remained suspended in the air. The girl put her hand over the broken pieces, and they rejoined together and became whole again.  
"The only thing I know what would limit my powers." Shamira continued as she placed the pencil back onto the desk. "Is my conscience, and the morals and values that I was brought up with. I also have the gift of foresight—powers inherited from my mother, but I don't like to use them because of the things I believe in, like privacy."  
For once Professor Xavier found himself at a loss for words. Several moments of silence passed.  
"Well, since I don't like to pry, I might as well ask." Shamira said at last. "Please tell me about the man whose live I've saved."  
It was Professor Xavier's turn to lean back in his seat. "Scott Summer, probably known to you as Cyclops, was one of my first students, as well as another mutant by the name of Jean Grey. Spending many years in each other's company proved only to be a matter of time before the two of them fell in love. But...tragedy struck a few years ago at Alkali Lake. Jean sacrificed herself to save the rest of the X-Men. Logic tells us that she is dead, but Cyclops still hangs onto the hope that she is alive, and that she will return."  
"A hope that fades everyday." Shamira whispered.  
"Yes, that hope does fade with each passing day." Professor Xavier was taken aback. "But for Cyclops, that hope will never be gone. It seems unlikely that he will ever let go."

  
  
Cyclops stood silently in the hallway, watching a group of mutant children playing games in the courtyard. Stealthy, a pair of feet approached him. A pair of feet that slowly changed into cat-like paws.  
"Why do you continue to live in the past?" The angelic voice spoke.  
Cyclops slowly turned around. "Because I believe she will return. She's still alive. Somewhere."  
"And what if she's not?"  
In one quick motion Cyclops grabbed Shamira and slammed her again the window. There was anger in his eyes, while hers remained calm, almost bordering on boredom. 'Jean's not dead." He hissed. "She's not dead." He put his hands around her neck, but for some reason he was unable to squeeze and suffocate his victim.  
"I'm sure you witnessed my power back in Kingsville." Shamira said calmly. "I gave you your life back. I could take it away again in an instant."  
"Is that a threat?" Cyclops growled.  
"It is fact."  
"Let's say Jean was to come back today, or even to walk through the door this minute. Look at yourself." Shamira continued. "What would she see?"  
As if waking up from a dream, Cyclops suddenly became aware of what he was doing. He was trying to strangle the girl that had brought him back to life, the girl that could take it away at the flick of a wrist. Suddenly exhausted, Cyclops dropped to the floor and began to weep.  
Wordlessly, Shamira knelt beside Cyclops and wrapped her arms around him. After an eternity, the sobbing died down to sniffles and hiccups.  
"Thank about who you are." Shamira whispered to Cyclops. "Who you are now, who you've been ever since she left. Now think of who you could be that would make her proud of you, and become that person. So she can really be proud of you. Either when she comes back, or when she's looking down at you from heaven." Shamira quickly got up and walked down the hall, leaving Cyclops alone with his thoughts.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in forever (once again.) My bad. Hopefully I will get the story done before the summer is out, but that seems unlikely. Thanks to all the people that are still sticking and reading this story. If you can, please review. My apologies if I offended any really hardcore X-Men fans by not being accurate to every detail.


	8. The Training

Chapter 8 – The Training

"You're so lucky." Rogue commented as she ran a brush through her hair. "You've only been here for a few weeks, and already the Professor is asking you to go into the training room? Most of us have to wait for about a year before that even remotely happens."

"I guess I'm one of the lucky ones." Shamira did not stir from her bunk bed.

"So," Rogue eagerly continued, a twinkle in her eye. "I know that you've been seeing Warren a lot. Or rather Warren has been visiting you a lot."

Shamira smiled to herself. "Indeed, for it seems a day does not pass when Warren comes just to say hello."

There was a soft knock on the door. "That's probably him now." Rogue rolled her eyes and put the brush on the dresser. The door was pulled open a second later. "Cyclops! What are you doing here?"

"Professor sent me here to pick up Shamira for her first training session." Cyclops replied shyly. "Is she ready?"

Shamira jumped off of the top bunk and landed gracefully on the floor. "Let's go."

Closing the door behind her, Shamira followed Cyclops several steps down the hallway before she stopped short. "I sense that you're here a little earlier than you should be." Shamira said.

Cyclops turned around. "You know?"

"I could know everything that goes on inside of your head. But I choose not to."

"I thought about what you said awhile back, and how I've been acting." Cyclops began.

Shamira lowered her gaze, refusing to look him in the eye. "I was out of line." She said. "I should have never interfered like I did."

"But I'm glad you did." Cyclops held the girl gently by the shoulders. "It made me realize how foolish I had been acting. I promise that I will try to change so that Jean and yourself will be proud of me."

"Do it for yourself, as well as Dr. Grey." Shamira almost laughed. Her eyes suddenly grew distant again. "Why should I be involved in this matter?"

"Because..." Cyclops' mouth suddenly went dry.

"Yeah well, the Professor will be expecting us." Shamira lowered her eyes once again and walked past Cyclops. Not another word was spoken between them. His mind could not focus as he watched Professor Xavier escort Shamira into the training room. A few minutes later Professor Xavier rejoined Cyclops in the control tower.

"You didn't explain to her how the room works." Cyclops found himself saying.

"As there is a reason behind that." Professor Xavier calmly took up the controls. "I want to find out in reality just what she is capable of."

"Breeze are you ready?" Professor Xavier spoke into the loudspeaker. Shamira nodded, looking nervous but determined.

Within seconds, trap doors slid open to reveal huge machine guns on revolving arms that immediately spat out round after round of bullets. Caught off guard for a split second, Shamira dived and rolled, bullets missing her by mere centimetres. The guns stopped as Shamira slowly stood up, a weird and mysterious glow in her eyes.

"Amazing." Professor Xavier observed. "She seems to have overridden the main controls."

All around the room, the machine guns exploded one by one in a dazzling show of lights. The arms retreated, soon being replaced by ones that bore laser guns. But by that time Shamira had sprouted wings and taken to the air, dodging the laser beams with mind blowing speed and accuracy. Catching two of those beams magically in her hand, Shamira threw them back, and the lazer guns erupted in a sea of fire.

Cyclops only vaguely noticed Wolverine enter the control room and stand quietly by the door. Only the Professor was moving, trying to find the limits of the young girls' powers. But whatever obstacles he put up, she seemed capable of overcoming them within seconds. There was just one more thing that he hadn't tried. A single button was pushed, and all the walls and the ceiling of the training room slowly started coming together.

Shamira soared to the ground and landed gracefully, her angel wings disappearing within an instant. She looked at the closing walls, her forehead wrinkled in thought. Then Cyclops saw something in her eyes, something that he had never seen before. Fear.

The realization clicked in his mind.

"Professor!" Cyclops cried. "You've got to stop it! Shamira, she's claustrophobic! This is her limit!"

"I am sure she will be alright Scott." The professor said calmly, watching the walls squeeze in tighter and tighter. "She has proven herself many times over."

"Not this time!" Cyclops nearly screamed. "She's had enough for one day, she can't take this! Encountering your phobia is one of the worst nightmares possible!"

"You know as well as I do, that nothing will happen to her." Professor Xavier still remained in his state of calmness. "You have my word on that."

Cyclops tried to lunge at the Professor, though he could feel Wolverine's grip hold him back. He struggled anyway. There was no telling what might happen if Shamira was scared beyond all belief.

"Scott!" Professor Xavier wheeled around to face Cyclops. "I am ordering you to calm down this instant!"

There was a loud screeching sound as the walls slowly came to a stop. Cyclops felt sick as he realized that there might not be enough room for Shamira in what tiny space remained.

As the trio stared on, the walls began to shake and shudder. It was slow at first, but quickly built up the momentum. In one instant, the walls were blown back. The force was so great that the glass windows shattered and the whole mansion shuddered. Cyclops could feel shards of glass scraping along his face and arms, but that seemed like a small matter.

"Shamira!" Cyclops raced to the training room as the smoke slowly began to clear. "Shamira!" He spotted a heap lying on the ground, motionless. It was her. Making his way through the rubble, he soon reached her.

"Shamira, are you all right?" Cyclops could feel tears coming to his eyes. "Speak to me, please!"

Slowly, the girls' eyes opened. There was a flicker of a smile. "I did it Cyclops." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I did it." Her eyes closed again.

Hurry Scott. Cyclops could feel the Professor's voice inside of his head. Get her down to the medical wing. Dr. Hank McCoy has already been notified.

Picking Shamira up in his arms, Cyclops raced out of the training room as a crowd slowly started to gather.

In the confusion, nobody noticed Wolverine slipping out of the mansion, his eyes slowly changing from a brown to a golden yellow.

Author's Note: Sorry for another huge gap in between chapter postings, but it's really packed now that school's back. Please comment if you can...hopefully you liked this chapter and this story in general! My apologies once again to hardcore X-Men fans if I have not been 100 accurate in the portrayal of any details.


	9. The Complication

Chapter 9 – The Complication

Walking down the hall, Warren was surprised to find the door of the control room slightly ajar. Peeking in between the crack, Warren saw Shamira pacing slowly around the room, running her fingers lightly over the glass shards that lay on the counters and on the ground.

"I heard what happened yesterday." Warren entered the control room, careful not to step on any pieces of glass. "Shouldn't you be in bed resting?"

"Maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't." Pieces of broken glass floated in the air and slowly rejoined themselves to form the window. "Why do you care?"

"Because—I care about you, more than a friend." Warren blurted out.

The shards in the air suddenly dropped to the ground. Shamira turned her back towards Warren and concentrated on repairing the glass.

"And I know you care about me too." Warren persisted with a few-found confidence.

"Don't be silly." Shamira replied as the last shards of glass resumed their flight and the glass window was repaired. "You're not a mind-reader."

"I didn't have to be one."

"Then why are you pretending, or at least assuming that I like you in that way?"

Warren grabbed Shamira by the arms and spun her around. She tried to struggle free, but his grip was tight. "I saw it in your eyes." Warren finally said, their faces only inches apart.

"Let go of me." Shamira glared at the blond haired boy, her cat ears twitching dangerously. "If I were you I wouldn't be so rough. I could wipe your existence from the face of this planet in the blink of an eye."

Warren still retained his grip. "Then why haven't you?"

"Because I have a conscience. And I was taught what was right and what was wrong."

"Don't think I can't relate to what emotions you're going through." Warren said quietly. "I know how alone you feel in the world, because we have powers and we are different from the rest of humanity. I can only imagine what an extra burden you must have, being possessed with powers that even most of us cannot imagine."

"You know nothing about my life." Shamira stopped struggling, but the cold glare remained, mixed by a great degree of sadness.

"You won't let me." Warren pointed out. "Put aside the death threats, stop using your powers as a shield. Tell everyone, who everyone what you're really feeling inside. Who the real Shamira is."

Tears started to glisten in those cat eyes. "I can't. Not now, not ever."

A split second later Warren's hands grasped air as he realized he was now alone in the room.

* * *

Heavy boots echoed through the stone hall as Wolverine made his way up the stairs. At the top of the landing sat Magneto behind a matching stone desk, calmly tapping his fingers as he watched the figure approach.

"I hope you encountered no trouble at all." Magneto said.

There was a small smirk on Wolverine's face as he slowly transformed back into the confident Mystique. "None whatsoever." She calmly replied. "I have what you want." She produced a small CD and handed it to Magneto.

As soon as the CD entered the drive of the computer that was sitting on the desk, a video started to play. It was a recording of Shamira in the training room, weaving expertly through all of the obstacles.

"Interesting." Magneto's voice seemed to soften as he watched the video. "Do you know how old she is?"

"Hard to tell."

It must have been a long time. Magneto thought to himself. That face seemed so unrecognizable and familiar at the same time. She had really changed, yet she didn't seem to have aged at all.

"Why are you so interested in her?" Mystique's voice brought Magneto back to reality. "I remember you telling me once, about this girl you met. Could this be...?"

"Don't ask so many questions." Magneto spat. "Stick to the plan, that's all you need to know."


End file.
